Fastener-inserting machine



Dec. 28 1926.

, .1. A. GODIN FASTENER INSERTING MACHINE Filed Nov. 12. 1921 I \w I latented Dec. 2a, 1926.

TES

JOSEPH A. G QDIll, 9F QUEBEC, QUEBEC, CANADA, ASSEGNOE TO UNITED SHOE MACHIN- ERY CORPORATION, OF PATEBSON, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

FASTENER-INSERTING IJIACHINE.

'Application filed November 12, 1921. Serial No. 514,664.

This invention relates to methods of and machines for inserting fasteners, and is disclosed herein with reference to the inserting of eyelets. The uppers of shoes having invisible or blind eyeleting comp-rise a plurality of layers of material through all of which the lacings are passed but through one of which the eyelets do not extend. In the case of blind eyeleting the eyelets are inserted from the outside of the shoe or other article and are usually clenched between the inside layer and the one neXt to it, whereas, in the case of invisible eyeleting the eyelets are inserted from the inner side of the article and are clenched between the outside layer and the one next to it. These two kinds of eyeleting have so much in common that both are included within the scope of the invention hereinafter disclosed, and it will therefore be convenient and suflicient to consider both as included within the intent and meaning of expressions such as invisible eyeleting, thus dispensing with the necessity for specifying both blind and invisible eyeleting whenever the latter is referred to. This is done in this specification merely to avoid repetition and confusion and not with any intent to limit the invention or to imply that blind eyeleting and invisible eyeleting are synonymous.

According to the most approved practice invisible eyeleting is done with a machine having a setting tool the clenching shoulder of which passes through the lacing hole of one of the layers so as to transformand clench the barrel of the. eyelet between that layer and the one next to it. Invisible eyeleting is practiced very extensively and in many of the shoes in which it is used the upper leather is so thick, firm or inelastic as to make it difficult to pass the clenching shoulr der through a: lacing hole of the small diameter required by the trade. Moreover, as heretofore practiced, the thrust of the ingoing eyelet barrel has been the means relied upon for forcing the upper layer past the clenching shoulder, and this has oftentimes been inadequate.

In view of the conditions hereinbefore explained an object of this invention is to provide an improved method of and improved means for relatively moving the work and a setting tool so as to pass the clenching shoulder of such tool through one layer of the work to an operative position between two layers prior to and independently of the insertion of the eyelet. The machine hereinafter described is designed to utilize a feeding and setting tool separate from the punch that forms the holes, but it is not intended to limit the scope of protection so as to exclude, for example, machines in which the feeding and setting'tool is used also to punch the lacing-holes. I However the hole may be punched, the operation of locating the clenching shoulder between the layers is preferably timed to occur after the hole has been completely made but before it has been shifted from the punching locality. This timing insures adequate control of the work by the feeding tool during the feeding period.

Accordingly. a feature of the invention consists in automatic means including a hammer or presser arranged to act against the work immediately after the leading end of the setting tool has been inserted therein, and to recede from the work as soon as it has forced the layer through which the eyelets are not to pass past the clenching shoulder, to clear the field for the eyelet that is about to be inserted.

Since the work-feeding mechanism of such machines is commonly capable of regulation to vary the length of the feeding steps, another feature of this invention consists in organizing the aforesaid hammer or pressing means and regulatable work-feeding mechanism in such manner that the hammer will partake of regulation of the work-feeding mechanism so as to function always at the locality determined by such regulation.

Another feature of the invention consists in a construction by which the hammer or presser 1S given an elastic or resllentaction trated by the accompanying drawings and are hereinafter described and claimed.

Referring to the drawings,

Fig. 1 represents a perspective view of a portion of an eyeleting machine embodying a preferred form of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a front elevation thereof in which the work table and an article of work are shown in section;

Fig. 3, on a larger scale, is a view similar to a portion of Fig. 2 excepting that the parts are shown in other positions; and

Fig. 4', from the same point of view as Figs. 2 and 3, shows the inserting tool and the setting tool as completing a clenching operation.

The herein disclosed machine, which is adapted to operate in accordance with the novel method of the present invention and which constitutes an illustrative embodiment of the mechanism of the invention, is of the general type disclosed in United States Letters Patent No. 603,023, granted April 28,

1898, on an application of nour Field.

to confine this description to those parts of the machine that are directly involved in the problem to be considered, since a more complete disclosure of the general organization of the machine may be found in the aforesaid Field patent. I

As usual, the machine is provided with a raceway by which the eyelets 11 are supplied to an inserting tool 12. This tool has a central spindle 13 arranged to slide therein and normally pressed upwardly by an enclosed spring (not shown). The inserting tool is carried by a plunger let arranged to slide in fixed bearings 15, 15 and provided with a grooved block 16 in which a wrist pin block 1'? slides. This block is carried by a wrist pin 18 projecting from a disk 19 on a cam shaft 20. According to the usual wel known operation the inserting tool is caused to. rise from the position she vn by Figs. 1 2 and 3, first to pick the leading eyelet from the raceway, then to insert th. eyelet into the Work and to return to its initial posit-ion after it has cooperated with the setting tool to clench the eyelet as shown by Fig. 41.

The setting tool comprises a clenching shoulder 21 and a pilot portion 22 of smaller diameter. This tool is adjustably fixed to a lever 28 so that it may be adjusted endwise to. meet, the inserting tool more or less closely according to the thickness of the work to be handled. As described in the aforesaid Field patent this lever executes rocking motion such as to carry the setting tool up and down, and also executes a motion of variable amplitude from side to side to feed the work step by step in a straight line.

The setting tool is also provided with an external screw-thread 2 1 to carry a fingernut 25. This nut serves as an abutment to limit the upward movement of the work when the latter is forced on to the setting tool as hereinafter described, and may be adjusted relatively to the clenching shoulder accordingto the thickness of'the upper layer 26 of the work. The work is shown more or less conventionally as comprising only two layers, the layer 27 constituting the eye let-receiving layer. More often than otherwise the eyelet-receiving element comprises a plurality of layers such as alining, an eyelet-stay and an inner facing, although, for convenience, the details of its construction are not shown.

The machine also comprises a punch 28 and a punching die 29 for punching holes through all the layers. The diameter of the punch is less than that of the clenching shoulder and about equal to that of the pilot. portion 22. As in the aforesaid Field patent the punch is carried by a lever 30 and the die is carried by a laterally movable frame 31 both of which swing in unison about a vertical axis. Furthermore the lever 34 swings about a horizontal axis to carry the punch toward and from the die. These elements are also: connected to the regulatable work-feeding mechanism so as to partake of regulation with the result that they will, in every case, punch the hole at a di nee fron'i the setting locality commensurate with the length of the feeding steps.

The feedregulating mechanism comprises a handle or regulator 32 which is arranged to swing from front tower over a stationary plate This plate is provided with numerous small holes 34' into any oneof which a stop pin 35 may be inserted, a spring (not shown) being provided to urge the regulator toward the rear, and the pin 35 serving to maintain the regulator in any one of a plurality of positions according to the location of the pin. Since this mechanism is essentially the same as that disclosed in the aforesaid patent further description thereofwill be unnecessary excepting that it will beconvenient to note that a movement of the regulator toward the front of the machine in creases the length of the feeding steps and a movement toward the rear decreases their length.

l a. 1 and 2 show the article of work downwardly by a. 38 and periodically lifted by suitin chanism which is disclosed in the ale .e

saie Field patent. A hole in the work table enables the die 29, the inserting tool 12' and the hammer hereinafter described to operate at the plane of the work-supporting surface. Considering briefly the principal compression of the setting tool.

items in a cycle of operations of the mechanism hereinbefore described, the punch 28 punches a hole through all the layers of the work while the setting tool is in registia tion with the eyelet-inserting tool, the work being then clamped by the presser-foot. The punch rises inn'nediately to clear the work and then moves to the right, the die 29 moving in unison with it lengthwise of aslot in the work table and the setting tool moving to the right at the same time so as to take the position shown by Fig. 2 where it is in registration with the hole just punched. The setting tool then descends so as to enter the punched hole, whereupon the presserfoot rises to release the work. The setting tool feeds the work by moving from right to left and stops when in alinement with the inserting tool 12. At this point the presserfoot descends to clamp the work. In the meantime the tool 12 has risen to pick an eyelet from the raceway, and is about to insert the eyelet into the work when the setting tool comes to rest as aforesaid. as the barrel of the eyelet enters the element 27' of the work it moves along the pilot portion .22 of the setting tool and encounters the shoulder 21 by which it is spread open and clenched between the elements 26 and 27 as shown by Fig. 4. Incidentally with the aforesaid feeding motion the punch and die return to their original positions so as to beiready to punch the next hole. After clenching the eyelet the setting tool rises and the inserting tool descends, thus completing a cycle of operations,

Machines formerly used for invisible eyeleting have been so arranged that the clenching shoulder of the setting tool has remained above the upper layer of the work until the introduction of the eyelet, the thrust of the entering end of the eyelet barrel bein depended upon to move the work upwardly and to force the upper layer of the work past the clenching shoulder Since it is generally required that the lacing holes be as small as possible and under no circumstances greater than the internal diameter of the clenched eyelets, the clenchingshoulder of the tool is larger than the punched lacing holes, and the upper leather is stretched more or less when it is forced past the clenching shoulder. Some grades of leather are thin and elastic enough so that they may be forced past the clenching shoulder by the thrust of fhe eyelet barrel without much difiiculty, but other grades of leather, particularly those which are thick and tough. present a much more. difficult condition. Such leathers can be forced past the clenching shoulder only with considerable difiiculty, and when the thin entering end of the eyelet barrel is relied upon for this purpose, there is danger of the entering end of the eye-let barrel reaching and passing the clenching shoulder before the upper leather has been forced completely past the clenching shoulder or even before its upper surface has substantially passed the clenching shoulder. \Vhen this happens, the prongs of the eyelet barrel often. enter the substance of the upper leather or pass upwardly through the lacing hole and are visible upon the surface of the upper leather or as a circle surrounding the lacing hole, often in a partially clenched condition. l'l hatever the detailsmay be, if the entering end'of the eyelet barrel passes the clenching shoulder before the upper layer of the stock is forced completely past the clenching shoulder, the result is unsatisfactory and often is so bad that the work is ruined. The mechanism now about to be described is effective to locate the work relatively to the clenching shoulder so that the latter will occupy the relation shown by Fig. 8 prior to and independently of the insertion of the eyelet. The illustrated mechanism for accomplishing this result comprises a hammer 40 formed with a hole 41 only large enough to receive the pilot portion 22 of the setting tool. The mouth of this hole is preferably flared like that of a bell. This hammer is arranged to swing about a pivot member 42 and is operated periodically by a cam 1-3 carried by the shaft 20. The cam acts upon a lever 44: the fulcrum of which is indicated by 45. A spring 46 normally exerts downward stress on the lever to keep the latter in the position shown by Fig. 2. Motion is transmitted from the lever to the hammer by a link which, as shown, comprises relatively movable sections 47, as between which a cushioning spring t9 is interposed. This spring is ,inaintained under initial compression by a sleeve 50 and nut 51, the sleeve being adapted to slide relatively to the member 48 and the nut being effective to vary the'cegree of initial compression of the spring. A stop 52 is arranged to limit the downward movement of the hammer as caused by the spring 4.6.

The cam 43 is shapedto cause a sudden upward movement of the lever 414, so sudden that, owing to the inertia of the parts 40 and 48, the spring 49 becomes further compressed by the action of the cam before the hammer has responded fully to such action. The hammer then strikes an upward blow against the work by reason of the reaction of the spring 49, VhllCll blow. although not produced directly or positively by the cam, is sharper than it would be if the connec tion between the lever and the hammer were non-yielding. This permits a less abrupt cam surface than would otherwise be required and relieves the connections from CYIQE'Slv'QlY violent impacts, in addition to sharpening the blow against the work.

The cam i3 is timedto produce the aforesaid action of the hammer at that instant when the setting tool has reached the lowest limit of the motion by which it enters the punched, hole. The downward movement of the setting: tool carries the clenching shouh der approxi it-ely to the plane of the upper surface of the layer 26 or slightly above that plane. Then, before the nning of l the feeding movement, the cam e2) causes the hammer to strike the work aforesaid. Fig. 3 shows the hammer as having struck the blow by which the layer 26 is forced above the clenching shoulder 21 the ward movement of the worlr bein by the abutment 25 which. as

statec, will be adjusted rca according is preferoresaid Field patent. Such on alters the point at which the holes are punched and produces a correspondin change in the point at which the clencnin tool descends to enter the punched hole. Since it is necessary for the hammer 4:0 to be in registration with the clenching tool to function shown by Fi 3 it becomes necessar to shift the han'nner in accordance with each feed regulation. This is taken care of by the present invention in such a ray that the hammer par-takes of feed regulation without requiring; any additional or special attention on the part of the operative. Accordingly the hammer is a tached l'y its pivot men er 4:2 to an adjustable support 54;. This support is connected. to the frame f the machine by screws 55 which extend irough horizontal slots 56 formed in said port. Bushings 57 may be placed on the .nrs of the screws to furnish ti-eater beau surface for the support 54. fr finger 58 to the support is provided with a r or ,"'riction roller 59 which occupies an inclined slot 60 formed in a plate 61, This plate is arranged to slide forward and bac on a fixture 62 with which it is con 11-; guide such as the dovelhe forward end of a coi'inected to the slide 61 plitnde of feeding motion is altered as hereinbefore explained and as more fully disclosed in the aforesaid Field pstent. The slot (30 is so inclined that when'the regula- 4 red to increase the length of the ling; s 38 it will shift the hammer to the it. and when the regulator is moved so o cecrease the length of tne feedingf steps it will shift the hammer to the left, andt-hus ain the hammer in a position such that will register with the setting: tool when these two elements cooperate as shown by The operating; connection between cw" and the hammer is dos gined'to take of regulating movement without ducing any variation in the action of the thus described my invention, What i. .4 new and desire to secure by nt of the United States is:

ns for operating the punch to hole in the material, a fastener set-ting formed with a clenching shoulder, us for moving the entering end of the s -t inn' tool into a hole previously out by the unh in the material, means for thereafter moving the material along said setting tool t reby forcing a layer of the material past t clenching? shoulder of the setting. tool to locate said shoulder between the layers,

nesins for thereafter moving the setting tool laterally to feed the material to fastener inserting position, and means for thereafter introducing a fastener and clenching its enteri gr end the clenching shoulder between the layers.

A machine for setting invisible eyelets, comprising a Work-feeding tool arranged to enter a lacingrhole in an article of work, said tool having" a clenching shoulder, means arran d to move the work so as to force one layer thereof past said shoulder before said tool. starts its feeding movement, and means arranged to cooper- With said tool after the feeding movement to insert and an eyelet in said hole.

A machine for setting invisible eyelets comprising a work-feeding: tool having: a clenching shoulder, means arranged to punch a lacing-hole through all the layers the work means for movingv the wo'lt don said tool arranged to force said shoulder through one of the layers after s ich hole has been completely punched but before such hole is removed from the punching locality and means arranged tocooperate with said tool to insert and clench an in said hole.

4t. A machine for setting invisible eyes. con means for punching. a lacing-hole throu h all the layers of an article of work, eyelet-clenching means having a clenching shoulder formed and arranged. to

go through the punched hole in one layer of said article so as to function between two layers, means arranged to move said article along the axis of said hole so as to locate said clenching shoulder between two of the layers as aforesaid while the punched hole remains at the punching locality, and means arranged to cooperate thereafter with said clenching means to insert and clench an eyelet in said hole.

5. A machine for setting invisible eyelets, comprising means for punching a lacingliole through all the layers of an article of work, eyelet-clenching means having a clenching shoulder formed and arranged to go through the punched hole in one layer of said article so as to function between two layers, means arranged to strike a sharp blow against the work so as to force said layer past said clenching shoulder, and means arranged to cooperate thereafter with said clenching means to insert and clench an eyelet in said hole.

6. A machine for setting invisible eyelets, comprising means for punching a lacing-hole through all the layers of an article of work, eyelet-clenching means having a clenching shoulder formed and arranged to go through the punched hole in one layer of said article so as to function between two layers, work-positioning means including a striker normally separate from the work but operative to strike the work so as to force said layer past said clenching shoulder, and means arranged to cooperate thereafter with said clencl ing means to insert and clench an eyelet in said hole.

7. A machine for setting invisible eyelets, comprising clenching means having a clenching shoulder formed and arranged to go into a lacing-hole previously punched through all the means formed and arranged to strike an annular area of the work concentric relatively to said shoulder so as to force one of the layers past said shoulder, and means arranged to cooperate thereafter with said clenching means to insert and clench an eyelet in said hole.

8. A machine for setting invisible eyelets, comprising a setting tool having a clenching shoulder and a pilot portion protruding therefrom, means for moving said tool so as to insert said pilot portion into a lacing-hole in an article of work, means ar- "anged to move the work lengthwise of said pilot portion simultaneously with the pilot inserting movement but in the opposite direction so as to force one layer of the article past said clenching shoulder, and means arranged to cooperate thereafter with said tool to insert and clench an eyelet in said hole.

9. A machine for setting invisible eyelets, comprising two cooperative members layers of an article of work,

' to transmit regulating one of which has a clenching shoulder and a pilot portion and the other of which has a recess to receive said pilot portion, said members being movable toward each other to project said pilot portion through and beyond an article of work and to force one layer of the article past said clenching shoulder, means for moving the first-specified member to feed the'work after said members have functioned as aforesaid, and means arranged to cooperate thereafter with said shouldered member to insert and clench an eyelet.

10. A- machine for setting invisible eyelets, comprising a work-feeding tool having a clenching shoulder, mechanism including a hammer arranged to strike the work so as to force one layer thereof past said clenching shoulder, and means arranged to cooperate with said tool to insert and clench an eyelet.

11. A machine for setting invisible eyelets, comprising a tool having a clenching shoulder, a hammer and resilient operating mechanism therefor arranged to strike the work so as to force one layer thereof past said shoulder, and means arranged to coop rate thereafter with said tool to insert and clench an eyelet in the work.

12. A machine for setting invisible eyelets, comprising regulatable work-feeding mechanism including a feeding tool having a clenching shoulder, work-positioning means including a movable member arranged to move the work so as to force one layer thereof past said shoulder, said member being connected to said feeding mechanism so as to partake of regulating movement of the latter.

13. A machine for setting invisible eyelets, comprising regulatable Work-feeding mechanism including a feeding tool having a clenching shoulder, a hammer arranged to strike the work so as to force one layer thereof past said shoulder, means arrange movement from said feeding mechanism to said hammer so as to maintain cooperative relation between the latter and said tool, and mechanism arranged to operate said hammer in all its positions of regulation.

14:. A machine for -set-ting invisible eyelets, comprising regulatable work-feeding mechanism including a feeding tool having as clenching shoulder, a hammer arranged to strike the work so as to force one layer thereof past said shoulder, an adjustable member arranged to guide said hammer, means arranged to transmit regulating movement from said feeding mechanism to said guiding member so as to maintain cooperative relation bet een said hammer and said tool, and mechanism for operating said hammer for the purpose stated.

15. That improvement in methods of setting invisible eyelets which consists in punching a hole through all the layers of an article of Work, thereafter moving the Work along a setting tool so as to pass the clenching shoulder of such tool through one layer of the Work While said hole remains at the punching locality, thereafter feeding the Work edge-wise to another locality While maintaining said clenching shoulder in the Work, and thereafter inserting and clenching an eyelet in said hole.

16. That improvement in methods of setting invisible eyelets Which consists in punching a hole through all the layers of an article of Work, thereafter moving the Work relatively to a setting tool along the axis of said hole to pass the clenching shoulder of said tool through one layer of the Work While the axis of said hole remains in the same line that it occupied When punched, and thereafter inserting and clenching an eyelet in said hole.

' 17. That ii'nproveinent in methods of inserting eyelets in a plurality of layers of material which comprises forming a hole in all the ltyers of material, thereafter mov ing the material along a 7 thereby forcing one of the layers of the material past the clenching shoulder of the tool, and then feeding the work to eyelet inserting position inserting an eyelet, and

clenching its entering end against the clenching shoulder between the layers.

In testimony whereof have signed my name to this specification.

JOSEPH A. GODIN.

setting tool and 

